The
Uttlesford Local History Recorders (ULHR) scheme has 38 Recorders
covering 45 parishes, of which Great Chesterford is one. Since 2002
I have been Local History Recorder for Great Chesterford, and I am
now busy compiling a computer catalogue of local history archives
and artefacts in the village, to be known as the Great Chesterford
Local History Collection.

Pictures on this site are examples of Roman artefacts found in Great
Chesterford and now kept in the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and
Anthropology.

Bowl of decorated Samian This image is copyright. Reproduced by
permission of University of Cambridge
Museum of Archeology & Anthropology (Accession No. 1883.413)

Bronze MirrorThis image is copyright. Reproduced by
permission of University of Cambridge
Museum of Archeology & Anthropology (Accession No. 1961.111)

The
aim of LH Recorders also encompasses recording the present, i.e.
collecting documents and artefacts, taking photographs of events and
changes, and preserving oral history (it is valuable to write down
or record your memories of village life, and deposit scripts or
tapes in ERO Sound Archive). Other tasks can include answering
queries, transcribing documents, holding exhibitions and sending an
annual village report to the Essex Record Office. With the ULHR
archival scanner, I can copy photographs and documents up to A3
size, and with a digital camera transfer photographs to
archival-quality CDs. I would be most grateful to briefly borrow
historical documents, photographs or slides, etc in order to
photograph, photocopy or scan them for the collection and perhaps
build up to an exhibition.
The ULHR is soon launching a new, specially-commissioned database, known
as RUTH (Recording
UTtlesford
History), which
will be available for all LH Recorders who want to catalogue village
archives. It will be very easy to use and training will be
available. After inputting the existing items, I hope to contact
organisations and individuals later on, to compile a catalogue of
all potential historical material: minutes, correspondence,
scrapbooks, deeds, newsletters, etc. Personal items can be kept in
closed access of course. The RUTH catalogue will eventually form a
descriptive, searchable database of all the many interesting items
held in Uttlesford villages. The ULHR scheme provides the back-up
and continuity of an autonomous, fully-constituted organisation
encouraging villages to take care of their archival heritage.

Please
get in touch if you would like to know more, or if you have
any material that could be copied for the local collection,or if you would like to help with
recording….

1)Two copies of pen and ink
sketches of Annie Sharpe’s cottage during restoration in 1983. (Formerly known
as Horseshoe Timbers, now known as Saffron House).

2)Three
photographs
a) Living Whist
Pageant thought to be at Icknield House about 1940.
b) Mr Surrey
outside Surrey Cottage which used to stand at the gate to Chesterford
House (approx
1920) Mr Surrey worked the lime kiln.
c) Col & Mrs
Stanley standing outside Chesterford House during the celebration
King George VI’s
coronation in 1937.

3) a) Programme and
entry form for Coronation celebrations 1953.
b) Copy of an
extract from Kelly’s Directory for Gt & Lt Chesterford 1894
c) Copy of an
extract from County History of Essex Vol III. (Description and plan of
Roman
Settlement at Gt Chesterford.)

4)a) Reminiscences of a Chesterford Choir Boy by Stacey
George Dyer 1956b) Memoir of Charles James Bloomfield (Bishop of London)
concerning the appointment to the Living
of Gt & Lt Chesterford in 1817.
c) Guide & Foreword to ‘Past & Present’ exhibition of
bygones 1972.
d) Copy of Chapman & Andre’s map of Essex 1777. Plate IIe) Copy of an article from the Cambridge Chronicle about the
Romano British
town at Gt
Chesterford.

5) a) A programme,
Marshal’s rosette and details of Jubilee celebrations 1977
b) Copy of Trust
Deed covering the establishment of the village hall in 1954.

6)Copy of a pen and ink sketch of Carmen Street
in 1978

7) Kelly’s Directory
of Essex, Herts & Cambs in 1902

8) Two brass nameplates
from the old surgery ( now Southacre Cottage).
Dr.Paddison & Mr Edwards, dentist.
Also photograph taken in 2002 of Southacre Cottage.
The Surgery, High St

9)History of Great Chesterford, written by Brian Head, aged 12,
at the Perse School,
Cambridge in 1981.

10) a) Invitation to
‘Welcome Home & Tea’ July 1919. (Celebration of return of servicemen).
b) Programme of
‘The Pageant of Living Whist’ about 1948 (including names of cast).

11) a) Three photographs
of Living Whist 1948b)Photograph of Vicarage Garden Party about 1955

c)Postcard of Carmel St (undated)

d)Photograph of Duxford Football Team (possibly?). Approx.
1936. Some Chesterford players included

e)School photograph

f)Group photo in fancy dress (including Bert Lightning)

12) Eighteen photographs
of the Vicarage garden party (approx. 1955), attended by the Bishop

13)a)
Copy of Inclosure Award 1804

b) Copy of Parish map after Inclosure, Great Chesterford Parish
Council

14)Ninety eight editions of ‘The Times of the Chesterfords’

15)Four albums of photographs of the 1977 Jubilee Celebrations,
Gt Chesterford Parish Council

16)Photograph of Chesterford Stores (formerly Thurgoods) during
restoration in 1983

17)Nineteen photographs of Gt Chesterford taken in 1987 by EC
Price

18)Photograph of Gt Chesterford Football Club 1928 ( list of
names attached)

19)Two photographs of the Recreation Ground (one when flooded
in 1987)

20)Copy of Newmarket & Chesterford railway timetable August 1848

21)Forty three photographs of the 1977 Jubilee Celebrations on
23 cards

48)Revised list of buildings of
special interest in Great Chesterford April 1981

49)Twenty one magazines and twenty eight copies of the
Wellspring Church Weekly Newsletter

50)a) Photocopy of Inclosure Award 1804

b) Photocopy of Parish map after Inclosure, Great Chesterford
Parish Council

51)Great Chesterford Church and Village – booklet

52) Copy of the National
Fire Brigades’ Union Drill Book 1902

53) Collection of papers and documents as follows:-

1.General letter to all in Great Chesterford from the Vicar
(John Stewart) after the Little Chesterford fire. Dated 14th April
1914

2.Service of dedication of the windows in the Church by the
Bishop on 15th February 1917 (donated in memory of Kate Stewart)

3.Record of JP Smith’s service in the Volunteer Force 21.1.17
to 30.10.19, and a copy of the general letter sent by King George V to the Lord
Lieutenant

4.Two copies of the order of service at the dedication of the
War Memorial Cross on November 14th 1920

5.Certificate of competence issued to JP Smith to permit him to
act as an air raid warden. Dated 5th April 1939

6.Two poems by Constance Scott (one dated 1945 on the back)

7.Extract from the Church Magazine for the Rural Deanery of
Saffron Walden for November 1945 with an obituary for Mr Arthur Denny

8.Extract from the Church Magazine for the Rural Deanery of
Saffron Walden for June 1947 with an obituary for Mrs Emily Denny

9.List of the Rectors and Vicars of Great Chesterford from 1321
to 1747, and of Great and Little Chesterford from 1776 to 1953

10.Programme for the Coronation celebrations 2nd June
1953

11.Order of service for the laying up of the old and the
dedication of the new standard of the Great and Little Chesterford branch of the
British Legion

12.Voting slip for Parish and RDC elections on May 9th
1955

13.Certificate recording the retirement of JP Smith from the
Post Office in 1962

14.Details of the sale by auction of Bryn-Mere (The Old Post
Office) South St on Tuesday 22nd August1972

15.Copy of The Times of the Chesterfords for October 1973
containing the reminiscences of Emily Smith

16.Souvenir edition of The Times of the Chesterfords for the
Silver Jubilee Celebrations 6-7th June 1977

17.Cover of The Times of the Chesterfords for August 1977 with a
view of ‘Chestnuts’, High St (formerly a shop owned by Cecily Smith’s aunt and
uncle) in the background

18.Photograph of Robert Doble, Vicar of Great and Little
Chesterford

19.Two old photographs, one of the Charrington’s dray in a
procession, the other of the milkman with his horse and cart

54) Twelve old photographs as follows:-

1. Two exterior and one interior view of The Crown House
2.Two exterior views of Mill House; two interior views of the
Mill; one view of the Mill Stream
3. View of Manor Lane
4. View of the school
5. View of Newmarket Rd opposite Chesterford Engineering
6. Photo of a woman (possibly Mrs King)

55) Part of the Deed of Transfer of lands in Little Chesterford from John Kent and
others to RF King,
Rector of Little Chesterford, dated 8th October
1831. Also two typed copies of (possibly) the complete
document from 1617

56)These items returned to Mrs Angell of Hinxton by Ken Kilford
on 30/4/96 – she
reclaimed the articles as
the legal successor:

a) ‘Antiqua Explorata’. The results of excavations by R C
Neville around Great Chesterford from
1845 to 1847
b) Sepulchra Exposita’. The opening of some barrows around
Audley End by R C Neville and others 1848
c) Kelly’s Essex Directory 1896, R G Fordham on cover
d) Cary’s New Itinerary of the Great Roads of England and Wales
and the Principal Roads in Scotland
1821

57)Programme for the Great Chesterford Carnival 1st
July 1995

58)Copy of ‘Hello’ magazine dated 16th Sept 1995
containing and article about the De Bruyne family (new
owners of Swaine Adeney)
at their home ‘Chesterford Hall’, formerly the Country Club. Pages 90-93

59)25 photographs of Great Chesterford taken in 1998 (matching
those where possible taken by
E C Price in 1987

61)Notes on the history of the Chesterford Cup presented to the
men of the Chesterford Fire Brigade May 1944

62)Video of the village film taken from Gilbert Stephenson’s
original 8mm silent movie with voice over by
Gilbert, together with notes
supplied by the W.I., adding names etc. (notes updated 2004 by the WI with
corrections and additions to names)Local History
Society via Ken Kilford

63)Resume of talk given by Ian Deatker at the final AGM of The
Chesterford Association in November 1995,
giving a short history of the society
since it started in 1974

64)Seven photos of flash floods in August 1999 taken by Mrs E
Buckley

65)Eight photos of Carnival Procession etc.,June 2000 – part of
the Millennium Celebrations taken by
Mrs E Buckley

66)Copy of the Harvest 2000 Programme from All Saints Church
Great Chesterford, September 2000

67)Copy of the Great Chesterford Village Photograph taken
January 2000 to commemorate the Millennium

68)Photograph showing the Recreation Ground and the new
Community Centre flooded in October 2001
taken by Mrs H A Deatker

69)O.S. map of the development at Chesterford Park by Schering/Agrevo/Aventis
as it stood in 2001 when sold to Norwich Union for further development as a
Research Park

70)Ringbinders of local newspaper articles 2002 to the present
day (see also cat.no.74)

85)Photocopy of an article published in the Saffron Walden
Weekly News over twenty years ago c.1980, by Pam Croome which mentions the
Chesterford Stone being cemented into the side of a house. This house is Brock
House and the stone, or piece of the stone can be clearly seen from Manor Lane.
Another piece of the stone may have been used in the foundations of The Maltings
School St.

The article also gives an indication as to the stone’s
significance and history

86)Catalogue and flier advertising an Auction of Promises held
on Saturday 5th July 2003 at Great Chesterford Community Centre by
the Friends of Great Chesterford School to raise money towards building extra
classroom space – results are published in the Chesterford Broadsheet

89)Farmers’ Market – folder of fliers from local producers at
the market held in the Community Centre every 2nd Saturday of the
month. Started July 2003

90)Local bus and train timetables – Stagecoach abandoned the 102
bus route between Cambridge and Saffron Walden via Great Chesterford in the
summer of 2003. The route has been taken over by Whippet Coaches

91)Chesterford & District Gardening Society – folder of fliers,
flower show schedules etc. with special reference to the 30th
anniversary celebrations in 2004 with photographs

92)Workers Educational Association – Ickleton & Chesterfords
Branch. Folder of information with special reference to the 30th
anniversary Sept 2003 – includes a copy of the speech made by Elizabeth Marshall
recollecting the early years of the Association in the village

94)The Great Chesterford village sign - erected on the Green –
June 2003. Folder of photographs, information, opinions etc.

95)Video of ‘Coming Home., recorded off Anglia TV at 5.45pm on
Sunday 7th September 2003 ( 11 minutes duration).Two ‘railway children’ return to Great Chesterford station where
their father was the stationmaster and where they spent most of their childhood.
See also the following articles in the Scrap Book:-
a) “Return to the railway” Weekly News Thurs Sept 14th
2003
b)
“Railway children return to their station home” Walden Local Wed May 21st

96)Eighteen photographs taken of the Steam Up at Great
Chesterford held on Saturday 4th October 2003. Entertainment included Morris Dancers, street organs, vintage
cars and farm vehicles and a children’s
entertainer with a Punch and Judy
Theatre. A jumble sale was held in the school, and an arts and crafts
fair in
the Community Centre.
Taken by Kate
McManus

97)Photograph of two Jubilee Commemorative Plaques fixed to the
outside wall of the School Hall. The top one commemorates the Silver Jubilee of
King George V in 1935; the bottom one the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
in 2002 taken by Kate McManus

98)Ten photographs of Great Chesterford in the snow – taken on 5th
February 2003 after the M11 was blocked overnight ( see newspaper cuttings in
Scrapbook ) , taken by Kate McManus

99)Great Chesterford Millennium Mug – white pottery with
transfer print of the Church and the words Great
Chesterford Millennium on the
bottom.

100)Leaflet advertising the Chesterfords’ Acupuncture Clinic,
held at the Old Vicarage Church St, and
run by David Kelsey

101)Colour postcard of All Saints Church, Great Chesterford

102) Photos the ‘Medics Bike Ride’ which started at the
Plough in Great Chesterford
£1500 was
raised for the Emergency Doctor Service.
See also
newspaper cuttings for October 16 2003.

103) Folder
on the Rural Housing Trust including a copy of their newssheet
‘Village Homes’
information sheet;
guidance sheet called ‘Home Ownership Made
Easy’; and a survey on housing needs in Great Chesterford
which was
circulated to every house in the village in May 2004 to ascertain
local opinion.

104) Leaflet
advertising reflexology services, run by Irena Willmott

105)
Photograph of the Millennium Embroidery. Displayedl in the Community
Centre. Each scene depicts a
local view and was embroidered
individually

106) Pack of
photographs, fliers etc. including the official programme
of Midsummer Madness Carnival 2004
and Superstars

107)
Programme for the Great and Little Chesterford Open Gardens 26th
June 2004.
Part of the week of Carnival celebrations.

108)
Computer printout of the Great Chesterford milestone on the B1383
giving the distances between Great
Chesterford and London, Cambridge and
Newmarket
Height 25cm. Surveyed 21 June 2002

109)
Fifteen photographs of the 2004 Steam Up showing the steam engines
at the Plough and the fair on
Horse River Green

110) Five
photographs taken on Open Gardens Day Sat 26th June 2004

111) Mug
produced to commemorate the 13th Great Chesterford Steam
Up in 2004. White with green image
on one side of a steam engine and the words
‘13th Great
Chesterford Steam Up’

112) Letter
distributed throughout the village concerning the progress of the
Parish Room Appeal, signed by
David Maskell and Sheila Chambers,
Churchwarden

113)
Photograph of the Barn Dance held in the Village Hall in 2002

114)
Seventeen colour photographs taken of the 1995 Great Chesterford
Carnival

115)

a)
Three photographs of the 1997 Great Chesterford Carnival Parade

b)
Agenda and Minutes of several meetings of the Carnival ’97 Committee

116)

a)
Letter inviting the children of the village to take part in a Fancy
Dress Parade on
New Year’s Eve 1999 - see also 116(g)

b)
Sheet of instructions for villagers wishing to take part in the
Torches ‘Beacon’ on Millennium Eve, with
the words of ‘Auld Lang Syne’.

c)
‘Millennium Charity Supper and Cocktails’ recipe booklet. Recipes
donated by Jamie Oliver and
proceeds given to various charities.

d)
Photograph of All Saints Church Great Chesterford taken on
Millennium Eve.
The Church was floodlit for the first time.

e)
Four photographs of villagers taking part in the Millennium Quiz

f)
Two photographs of people signing the Village Register in the Church

g)
Six photographs of the Fancy Dress Party held in the Village Hall
after the
Parade.

h)
Seven photographs of Millennium Festivities in the Village Hall
(Treasure Hunt Tea?)

117)

a)
Programme, timetable of preparations, and income and expenditure
sheet for the Great Chesterford
Carnival 2000

b)
Four photographs of the ‘Superstars Competition’ – part of Carnival
2000. Held at both the Plough, and
the Crown and Thistle

c)
Seven photographs of the exhibits displayed at the Craft Fair in the
Chapel, Carmel Street as part of
Carnival 2000

140) Papers
sent from the Dept. of Transport, 2nd July 1993, to Mrs J
Casement, Parish Council Clerk,
detailing the compulsory purchase orders
necessitated by the dualling of the A11. Covering letter signed
by Mrs H A Stockbridge. Enclosed in the pack are copies of the orders, plans and public
notice.
CPO
(E No3) 1993; CPO (E No4) 1993

141) Papers
sent from the Dept of Transport, 23rd June 1993, to Mrs J
Casement Parish Council Clerk,
detailing the plans for the dualling of the
A11 trunk road, and
junction improvements at Four Wentways
and Stumps Cross. Covering letter signed by Mrs H A Stockbridge.Enclosed in the pack are copies of
the orders, plans and public
notice.

142) Folder
of letters relating to the Silver Jubilee Celebrations in June 1977.

144)
Correspondence between the Public Works Loan Board and the Parish
Council
Clerk regarding the early
settlement of a loan procured for the
purchase of
Horse River Green as a public amenity via a Public Open
Space Grant
1985-1987.

145) Great
Chesterford Village Appraisal 2001 Questionnaire

146) Great
Chesterford Village Appraisal 2001 Business Questionnaire

147)
Programme for a Celebration Ball held in a marquee on the Recreation
Ground on
Saturday 22nd May
1999, to raise money for the building
of the new Village Hall. Produced by the Village Hall Management
Committee.

148) A Hall for the Millennium
Brochure produced by the Village Hall Management Committee and
distributed
on
the evening of the Village Hall Fundraising Summer Ball.

152) Typed
list of contents of the Time Capsule buried beneath the Village Sign
in 2005. Includes a list of the
names of current Parish Councillors.

153)
Kelly’s Directory of Suffolk & Essex with Maps, 1937

154) Four
posters advertising Youth Band Aid at the Village Hall in the 1990s. All
proceeds went to Christian
Aid. It was run by All Saints Church, GtCh.

155)
Newspaper article (newspaper and date unknown), about Swaine ,
Adeney, Briggs’ proposed move to a
new factory off London Rd. Photograph of current factory site.

156) Aerial
photograph of Chesterford Park, showing the Manor House and outbuildings as they were in the
1980s when it was the Agrochemical Research Station for Fisons Boots Chemicals (FBC).

157) Two
aerial photographs of Great Chesterford in 2006 printed from the
Google Internet website.

158)
Pickwick’s Cambridge Scrapbook – the journey to Great Chesterford. Extracts compiled by Mike Petty
and Members of the Ickleton &
Chesterford WEA
class, March 2006. Eight A4 pages

159)
Picture of Life in Roman Days – painting a glimpse of the past by
Michael Vaughton. Description,
illustration and explanation of Peter Froste’s
pictorial depiction of the
4th century Roman town at Great
Chesterford. Newspaper cutting from the Reporter & Broadcast, June 29, 2006.

160) Lost
and Found – the lost Roman town of Great Chesterford brought to life for
the first time on canvas.
Essex Matters Issue 24 June 06,page 10.

163) Open
Gardens Day 2.00 – 6.00, Sat 17th June 2006.
Poster and list of gardens with map – part of Chesterford Carnival
Week.

164) Focus
on the Chesterfords 2006. Liberal Democrat newssheet written by Elfreda Tealby-Watson.
Contains information on the new access to
Chesterford
Park and October’s floods.

165)
Postcard of The College, Great Chesterford. Black & white, used
with two green 1/2p George VI
postage stamps. The College was
The Vicarage, and
later the Country Club. It is now a private dwelling
(Chesterford Hall) owned by
the de Bruyne family of Swaine, Adeney.

166) OS Map
of Great Chesterford reproduced by Uttlesford District Council on 12/10/2006 for the purpose
of a survey of a conservation village.
Map ref. TL5042 Scale 1:3000
Shows house names and numbers. Conservation area is outlined in red.

167) Copy
of a letter written to Richard Hennings by Joe Wakefield on 3rd
1983 about July Farmhouse where
Joe once lived.
Copied exactly as it was written.

168) List
of businesses drawn up by Ian Deatker which advertised in the Great Chesterford Flower Show
programme from 1912-1926.

169)
Copy of a letter written by Stacey Dyer to Gilbert Stephenson – date
unknown
Reminiscences of the White Cottage and the Church Choir.

170) House
auction details of The Chestnuts, High St, Gt. Chesterford
For
sale by auction on Tuesday 10th October 1972
Photograph shows the cottage before renovation.

CHE
234) Stacey George Dyer: a chronicle of the village he loved.
Interim Report No 1. 1990 ISBN 0951717103 £1.50

CHE
235) Our Villages: their beginnings and now. Abstracts from written
and oral History records.
Interim Report No 2. 1991 ISBN
0951717103 £1.50

CHE
236) The Life of a Young Farm Worker in the 1920s & the Fate of
Many Chesterford Farmers, by Joe
Wakefield. Interim
Report No 3. 1992 ISBN 095171712X £2.00

CHE 237)
Disaster at the Park – Little Chesterford, 30 May 1944. A collation
of the information collected by
Janet Clark about the
explosions at the ammunition dump at Little Chesterford Park.
Interim
Report No 4 ISBN 0951717138 £3.00

CHE
238) A Village on Fire – Little Chesterford, 7 April 1914. A
perspective of Little Chesterford before and
during the great
fire in 1914 and the Buildings and people affected, by Ken Kilford.
Interim Report No 5 ISBN 0951717146 £2.00

CHE
239) Great Chesterford Burials: memorial inscriptions in Church and Churchyard, compiled by James
Marshall. Interim
Report No 6 ISBN 0951717 £2.50

CHE 240)
Great Chesterford Burials: from the registers 1586-2000, compiled by James Marshall.
Interim Report No 7. ISBN
0951717189 £3.50

CHE 241)
Little Chesterford in 1801 as revealed in the Inclosure Awards. Ken Kilford presents the awards,
the results of the inclosures, and extract Information about the life of the times from the
documents. Interim Report No 8. ISBN 0951717197 £1.50

CHE 242)
Local Heroes: the men on Great Chesterford Village War Memorial, by Peter Oldham.
Interim Report No 9. ISBN 0951717 £4.50

CHE 250)
The Beginnings of Chesterford from prehistory to history: The Fort
Ditch; The Temple; A Bronze
Age Cremation. Bulletin No
3 March 1980, Anthony E Collins & E C Price. £2.00

CHE 251)
Great Chesterford: a brief history. Chesterford & District Local
History & Archaeology Society in
association with Great
Chesterford Parochial Church Council. 2000. ISBN 0953441936 £2.00

CHE
252) A Peep into the Life of Victorian Great Chesterford, compiled
by Mary Miller, 1984. £2.50

CHE
253) Follow Centurions; an article in the April 2006 issue of Essex
Life & Countryside. Describes a walk
starting at the village
green, up Park Lane, across Hildersham Wood, down Cow Lane, and back
to
the village.

CHE
254) The Plough 2007 Calendar – produced to raise funds for
Diabetes UK.
Over £1000 was raised.

CHE 255)
Little Chesterford Park; a short history, by Dennis Smith.

CHE 256)
The Revolt of Geoffrey de Mandeville, by Dennis Smith.

CHE 257)
Investigation into the origins of Sewards End, by Dennis Smith.

CHE 258)
English Heritage National Monuments Record – local studies resource Pack re. Roman Settlement
at Great Chesterford.

CHE 259) CD
containing

1) a photocopy of Neville’s Antiqua Explorata ( from the Copy held in the Cambridge Museum of
Archaeology,
Downing St) ; and
2) 33 annotated photographs of Great Chesterford
Roman artefacts held in Saffron Walden
Museum.

1 – 7 photographs of the Millennium Quilt
2 – photographs taken of Roman artefacts found in Gt Chesterford and displayed in the
Cambridge Museum of
Archaeology and Anthropology, Downing St, on 19th
Aug 2006 during a
Local History Society visit.